Stropharia rugosoannulata – Wine Caps

Wine caps can be identified by their red cap which fades to brown as they age. Gills will be pale gray when the mushrooms are young, becoming purple-black as they age. They have a white veil which will be covering the gills when the mushroom is young.

Wine caps have a purple-black spore print. This will help to differentiate the mushroom from species in the Amanita genus, which have white spore prints, and from mushrooms in the Agaricus genus which have brown spore prints.

Wine caps are decomposers which are commonly found in wood chips. They are unique in their ability to grow in full sun. This allows wine caps to be cultivated in vegetable gardens.

Wine caps are a choice edible mushroom. They can be used in place of white button mushrooms or portobellos. They have an earthy taste after cooking.

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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.